May 15, 2010 - Day 278

Ink & Watercolor on 250gsm Stonehenge 100% Cotton Vellum Paper

I wanted to do something different tonight so I decided to paint a cow. Nothing fancy - just a cow. I had so much fun with it that I am going to do a series of cows. Moooooo!

May 14, 2010 - Day 277

Ink & Watercolor on 250gsm Stonehenge 100% Cotton Vellum Paper

I am too tired to write tonight. It is 11:45 pm and I have just completed today's painting. I don't really have much to say about the painting anyways.

May 13, 2010 - Day 276

Ink & Watercolor on 250gsm Stonehenge 100% Cotton Vellum Paper

This one turned out OK today but I think that like yesterday it needed more contrast between the background and the object. The lock seems to blend in to the background too much but I have re-worked it for the last hour with no success. I am at the point where I am going to ruin it if I continue.

May 12, 2010 - Day 275

Ink & Watercolor on 250gsm Stonehenge 100% Cotton Vellum Paper

On my walk-about the other day I found this really interesting cement thing down by the boat launch docks. I don't really know what it is but I think it might be something that keeps the docks secured in place. I just thought it was interesting with the rusty chain and stained cement.

May 11, 2010 - Day 274

Ink & Watercolor on 250gsm Stonehenge 100% Cotton Vellum Paper

Third in a series of paintings depicting iron objects. I really like the way that the metal is turning out. I cover the entire paper with the background color using a flat wash with darker paint spattered in while it is still wet. Once that is dry I start applying the colors of the object over top of the background color. I think that it gives it a more weathered look.

I went out today and started looking around my building for other iron objects. There weren't that many. I aroused the suspicions of a neighbour when I started taking pictures of a padlock on the building. He thought I was up to no good! I never thought that taking pictures for my art could be taken the wrong way. I don't mind really. I would rather have my neighbours keeping an eye on things than not caring if strange people are around. Even when the strange person is me :)

May 10, 2010 - Day 273

Ink & Watercolor on 250gsm Stonehenge 100% Cotton Vellum Paper

I really enjoyed creating today's painting and I am happy with the results. I have decided to continue on in this series and create more paintings including iron objects with similar backgrounds. I don't know yet what those objects will be but I think one of them might be some iron fittings that are on the docks of a local boat launch. I might just have to go on a walk-about around town to see what I can find for the rest of the paintings.

May 9, 2010 - Day 272

Ink & Watercolor on 250gsm Stonehenge 100% Cotton Vellum Paper

I haven't named many of my paintings in this blog but the idea for this painting came to me hand in hand with the title. I have called this one "Luck Lost". According to superstition to bring good luck a horseshoe needs to be hung with the points up to "hold in" the luck. If you hang it upside down the luck runs out.

I realized tonight that I was trying to accomplish too much at one time. Not only am I working with a new medium (ink and wash) I was also trying new subject matter (fantasy) AND free hand sketching all my designs. I have never drawn anything freehand. I have always used reference photographs. While I would like to learn how to draw and sketch trying to do it along with everything else was just too much.

So for tonight's painting I went back to what I know and created a still-life using a reference photo of a horseshoe I have hanging on my wall. The only thing I am experimenting with is the ink and wash.